Choosing Between M60X & M80X

[Mercian]

Hi all,

I've owned an M205 for a few years now, and although I love it I do think that it's slightly small for the furry ape-paws that I have for hands.

So, I am thinking of treating myself to either an M605 or an M805, but I would like to get some advice from those of you who have these pens before I go out and buy one. (Especially as either would cost me a sum that I can't really afford to be spending.)

 

Obviously, apart from the different plating on their trim, the M605 & M805 are the same pens as the M600 & M800, so the answers to my questions would also apply to the differences between the M600 & M800.

 

I would like answers to the specific questions listed below, but I would also welcome any other information that you think that I ought to know, and also any advice/hints/tips that you think that I ought to consider.

 

My specific questions:

 

1) Does an M80x feel noticeably heavier than an M60x - i.e. might its weight become tiring in long sessions of writing?

2) Does an M80x feel ‘unwieldy’ compared to an M60x?

3) Does either model only feel ‘right’ if you write with its cap posted (or, for that matter, with its cap not posted)?

4) Is there any difference between the feel/responsiveness/springiness/performance of the 18K gold nib on an M80x and that of the 14K gold nib on an M60x?

5) How do these nibs compare to the feel/responsiveness/springiness/performance of the steel nib in an M20x?

6) does the longer nib of the M80x substantially alter the feel or ease of writing with one, and if it does, does the longer nib make it ‘more comfortable‘ to use than an M60x, or ‘less comfortable’?

 

I do recognise that the best way to find out which of the two pens will better-suit my own, personal, taste is to try both of them out in a store, so;

7) can any of you let me know of any shops in my vicinity (the Midlands of England) that stocks both of these models of the Souverän?

 

My thanks to you in advance for your answers to those questions, and also for any other information that you feel that I ought to know before spending my money.

 

Cheers,

M.

[fountainpenlady]

In my opinion, there is more girth and heft in terms of circumference in the M800 than the M600. Both the M800 and the M600 I enjoy for different reasons. The M800 I enjoy because it is a definite writing instrument with some weight to it; my M600 feels lighter, a bit more comfortable in terms of how I write with it, just right for the fingers. In my mind, I often say the M800 is an adult pen, the M600 is like a teenage pen to me in its feel, nothing else.

You can tell you are writing with an M800. For my taste, I write with it often, but not for long periods. M600, I have recently fallen in love with it again. The nib was tweaked by a Nib Meister recently and it has made all the difference. It is my pen which I can write with for several pages in my journal. Both my pens were purchased in the 90s and I believe both have the 750/18kt nib. Both of my nibs are smooth; they are extra fine and write like the Western extra fine nibs. Enjoyable, both of them, depending on what I am writing with each of them.

Edited February 7, 2015 by fountainpenlady

[Trebor]

1. You're actually asking two questions here, which I believe you're conflating, so I'm going to separate them out.
   1. Does the M80x feel noticeable heavier than an M60x? Yes. Without question. The M800 isn't just slightly bigger, it's also got a brass piston instead of a plastic one, so it's quite a step up/different pen from the M600. For reference, your M205 is 16.0g, the M600 is 18.0g, and the M800 is 29.3g (figures from Pelikan).
   2. Does its weight become tiresome? Not to me, but every person is different. I like my M800 much more than my M600, which I actually sold off.
2. No, the M800 doesn't feel unwieldy (again, to me.) I actually like the size/weight more than the M600. Reference my answer to 1.2.
3. I only write posted, so I'm not the best person to answer this, but the pen is made to be written with both ways. It posts well, but I wouldn't say the pen demands to be used one way or the other.
4. For some intangible reason, I like the M800's nib better, but I can't place it down to why. Other than that, I don't think the nibs are significantly different in terms of characteristics.
5. Never used an M200.
6. I don't know how to answer this question, partly because I no longer have the M600, and partly because I never thought of it in those terms. I think what I would say is that this question really depends on how the pen's balance feels in your hand, because you'd probably compensate for nib length by choking up or relaxing your grip on the pen barrel.

In closing, I would say that the nibs/performance are very similar, so I would base your choice around the length/weight/girth of the pen as opposed to any other factor. As far as that goes, I think weight (and balance) is by far the biggest difference between these two pens, followed equally by length and girth.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Trebor

[SujiCorp12345]

I prefer the weight and girth of the M800 (which is much heavier than the M600 due to the M800 having a brass piston mechanism). I use it unposted and use it for long writing session all the time without any issues. The nib is without a doubt a nail (not that there's anything wrong with that). I don't really feel like bigger nibs have any noticeable difference when I write- I just like how bigger nibs look.

 

I felt like the 14k M600 nib had a bit more give to it, but it's still pretty much a nail. I just sold my M600 recently, but I definitely preferred posting it.

[sargetalon]

My specific questions:

 

1) Does an M80x feel noticeably heavier than an M60x - i.e. might its weight become tiring in long sessions of writing?

2) Does an M80x feel ‘unwieldy’ compared to an M60x?

3) Does either model only feel ‘right’ if you write with its cap posted (or, for that matter, with its cap not posted)?

4) Is there any difference between the feel/responsiveness/springiness/performance of the 18K gold nib on an M80x and that of the 14K gold nib on an M60x?

5) How do these nibs compare to the feel/responsiveness/springiness/performance of the steel nib in an M20x?

6) does the longer nib of the M80x substantially alter the feel or ease of writing with one, and if it does, does the longer nib make it ‘more comfortable‘ to use than an M60x, or ‘less comfortable’?

 

1) The M8xx does feel noticeably heavier than the M6xx owing to the brass piston assembly of the M8xx. I have never found that added weight to become tiring with longer writing sessions.

2) The M8xx does not feel unwieldy in any respect.

3) The M8xx is a bigger pen and, to me, feels better unposted (and I'm a habitual poster). I prefer to post the M6xx but it can also be used comfortably unposted.

4) I find the modern nibs to be similar between the two models despite the difference in gold content.

5) I find the steel nibs of the M2xx to be slightly springier than the modern gold nibs of the M6xx and M8xx but that is a generalization. There are individual differences. I have had gold nibs that are just as good and sometimes better than my M2xx pens (I'm biased towards the M2xx series as I own 48 variations of it).

6) I don't find either pen to be more comfortable than the other. They are both comfortable. What informs my choice of one over the other are my needs. The M8xx doesn't fit well in a shirt pocket due to its length so that one needs to travel in a case/bag while the M6xx will fit most shirt pockets.

 

At the end of the day, the M6xx is of similar weight and only mildly bigger than the M2xx that you know. The M8xx is a big step up from your current arrangement and, as you stated, is best tried before bought.

Edited February 7, 2015 by sargetalon

[DrCodfish]

Great questions. I have a scant few facts but like many here, lots of opinion. I need to make a disclaimer up front: The M600 is my hands down favorite in the Souverean line. First the numbers as I have been able to determine:

 

Model Length Dia Wt

M600 134mm 12.4mm 16.3 gm

M800 142mm 13mm 19.3 gm

 

As can be seen, the M800 is (obviously) larger, but the numbers are just numbers, and the real story unfolds when you take these pens in hand, Given the prices I have to agree with the suggestions above that you ought to take them for a test drive at a pen shop before you make a purchase.

 

I think the M600 is the red headed step child of the range. People love the smaller pens for their affordability and their compact size. I think the M800 is so popular precisely because it is a 'big' pen. If you refer to the numbers you can see that the differences are not significant, if you were packing a suit case and trying to decide which pen to take along, the size would not be make much difference; either would fit and neither would put you over the airline's weight limit. But when you read here about peoples experiences and their purchases you get the impression that the M800 is much more popular than the M600.

 

The real difference is in the way they feel in your hand. This subjective measure forms the opinion of most people. The M600 is the perfect for me, it 'fits' in my hand best and as Sargetalon mentioned it fits well in a shirt pocket too. I tend to post my pens when in use and the M800 looks and feels awkward to me when posted. They are both expensive pens, but the M800 usually costs quite a bit more. The performance differences in the nibs is indistinguishable to me.

Edited February 7, 2015 by DrCodfish

[Dewdrop]

Hi. I live in the Midlands in the UK. I don't know of any shops that stock Pelikans. I have an 800 but also tried a 600 before deciding. The 800 suits bigger hands and the brass piston makes it heavier at the top end. I use it unposted. Talk to Niche pens. They sent me both pens on trust and I bought the 800 and returned the 600. Their prices are highly competitive. And they do nib grinding. There are some nice 600 specials including the vibrant green which are worth looking at.

[DrCodfish]

".... Talk to Niche pens. They sent me both pens on trust and I bought the 800 and returned the 600..."

 

WOW! That is what I call customer servnce. I have had that experiece twice, as a result I am a customer for life.

[stephanos]

I won't repeat what others have said re: the weight and feel.

 

B&M shops. The only one I know in the Midlands is in Nottingham, just off the market square. I was in there a year or two ago asked had a good chat with a salesperson, so I can tell you that they stock the M800 (though not the 600). If you can only try one, then the 800 is the one to go with given your familiarity with the 200 range. So if you don't try the online option suggested above, that may be an alternative.

Sorry, don't remember the name of the shop, but it will be easily findable, as it's right on the city centre and Google maps should have it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yep, an 800 to me is a clunky pen that takes me some time to get used too....but I think all Large pens are some what clunky.

The 600 is a medium girthed light and nimble medium-large pen. The same length as a 400nn, but wider girthed.

The modern 800 is a nail nib.

The 600 a semi-nail...that is fat and blobby.

 

I have a 605 with a semi-flex B nib from my 400n. Stubbish, clean lined....and not fat and blobby double kugal/ball.....a thicker point with a ball on top and bottom=blobby.

 

Then again I grew up in silver dime days of finely balanced Standard and Medium-large pens (which should be posted).....so those who grew up with Large and clunky ill balanced pens could well be happy with a big thick heavier pen....

 

A 400nn would be a fine medium large pen...with the same girth as a 400. Has a much better nib than the 600/800 unless you like a semi-nail or nail.

[4lex]

If you are buying it as a collectors item, status symbol, signature pen or sort of a statement about you then M800, if you plan to have it as a daily use pen and you use the pen as they are supposed to be used (posted) then M400.

If you don't mind getting a used pen you may consider pre 97 trim M250 pen. Same size as M400, 14k gold nib, nice writer.

But if you think your pen needs to be big and heavy because it costed you a lot of money then go for M1000.

[cameron331]

Both great pens, and of course opinions vary. I personally prefer the weight and length of the m800, usually un-posted because the pen is long enough and the cap tends to scratch the barrels on both models. The scratches are micro-scratches, and most people probably don't even notice, but I try to keep them in as good condition as possible. I also like the m600, and it is more comfortable to me posted.

 

Again, opinions vary, but I think the general consensus is that the m600 is a 'normal' or 'medium' size pen, and the m800 is generally considered a rather 'large' pen.

 

To me, one of the biggest factors is the length of the pen. I don't find either pen too big around. If you have other pens to compare, I recommend taking measurements to see what range you find the most comfortable.

[Axial]

Hi. I live in the Midlands in the UK. I don't know of any shops that stock Pelikans.

 

There are two Pen Shop stores in Birmingham that should stock Pelikan pens:

 

 

• Birmingham Great Western Arcade »
• Birmingham House of Fraser »

Edited February 11, 2015 by Axial

[Mercian]

Thank you all for your - very helpful - answers.

 

I shall head off to Brum and see if I can check out both pens ‘in the flesh’

 

Of course, once I have managed to decide which model to buy, I shall be caught in the dilemma of which nib width to choose...

 

Cheers,

M.

[transcend]

right off the bat, ape paws require a m1000. unless you were exaggerating.

[Mercian]

right off the bat, ape paws require a m1000. unless you were exaggerating.

 

I am hoping that my paws are not quite so big as to require one of those - and so is my wallet!

[transcend]

Succumb to the inevitable. If you have large hands, I think you will learn to love and appreciate the M1000. It's your destiny as an ape paw man. The only question is now, or wait for a sale down the road. The difference between the two is big, but not that big, such as always knowing you "settled for second best" when the best really wasn't much more... 30 day refund window FTW?

 

That said, don't be impulsive.

[transcend]

m600 unless you get a great deal on a special edition 800 or 1000 would be my bottomline advise without thinking too hard.

Edited February 18, 2015 by transcend

[KBeezie]

I've wondered about this as well, especially considering my M640 appears to be between the size of a M600 and M800 (but the nib being an M600 nib). My M640 is 33g and the M800 is 30g, with the normal M600 being 18g. I actually find my M640 to be pretty comfortable at the weight and size that it's at, but not sure how the M800 would feel being slightly bigger with a larger physical nib.

 

The M640 is already at the limit of my leather case in terms of thickness, and the M600 is thinner than that. (So M800 would be pushing it if I wanted to use my 3Wunder case).

 

So I'm curious, if I like the M640's weight and girth, might I like the M800? (I Do find my M250 to be equally as comfortable to use especially posted, where as I prefer to use the M640 unposted).

[transcend]

I now own too many m600s so i have no choice. damn you pelikan.